Chapter 1

【Warnings are located at the end of this chapter】

…

In the evening, a trending post climbed the charts on Little Green Book (t/n: A popular Chinese social media and e-commerce platform, similar to Instagram or Red).

“Can someone tell me, what does it actually feel like to date a handsome guy? Please!!”

The post drew in a crowd of girls eager to answer.

“One word: amazing. My boyfriend is on the basketball team. I thought he’d be a total ‘straight man’ type, but he’s actually incredibly gentle. A ton of people try to ask for his WeChat on the street, but he says he only likes me.”

“I don’t dare pick a fight with him. As soon as we argue, he ignores me. But he definitely has the looks to justify my obsession. Here, [Photo] [Photo], judge for yourselves.”

“Total agreement with the person above. When we’re fighting, I just look at his face and half my anger vanishes. A little while later, he’ll crawl over on his own to coax me.”

“I clicked on everyone’s profiles—you’re all beauties. As expected, handsome guys only end up with beautiful girls.”

“Not necessarily! I’m a ‘mid-tier’ beauty at best, but my boyfriend is gorgeous. I can’t believe he fell for me. [Photo] [Photo]”

…

Yu Xuan scrolled through her phone, reading these words filled with sweetness and boasting.

So happy?

Then she should have one, too.

Not long after her eighteenth birthday, Yu Xuan felt it was time to fall in love. It was like a necessary item to check off her life’s bucket list.

But looking around her small county town, her male classmates who had just finished the Gaokao (t/n: China’s grueling national college entrance exam) were either wearing thick-lensed glasses or carried an air of either immaturity or “greasiness.” (t/n: “Greasy” (youni) refers to a man who is overly flirtatious, pretentious, or uncomfortably self-satisfied.)

A bunch of lackluster runts—hard to swallow.

Since there was no one suitable nearby, she might as well pick the best one from this high-quality comment section. It saved her the trouble of searching elsewhere.

Once the thought took root, it wrapped around her heart like a vine.

She reopened the viral post, her beautiful eyes slowly scanning, selecting her prey.

Only text boasting with no photos? Pass.

The photos weren’t stunning enough? Pass.

Looked like an average financial background? Pass.

After rejecting a long list, her finger suddenly stopped.

It was a comment from a girl with the ID “Zhao Zhao.”

“My boyfriend is usually a very cold person, but he’s wonderful to me. Plus, he goes to A-University and has amazing grades. This academic failure is seriously dying of envy. [Photo]”

Yu Xuan’s fingertip lingered on the photo. She zoomed in, scrutinizing it.

The man in the photo had deep features and was as handsome as an idol. His thin lips were slightly pursed; just as the girl said, he looked very cold.

He had an excellent physique and an elite aura. Though his clothes were low-key, one could tell they were well-tailored and expensive.

Yu Xuan shifted her gaze to the girl beside him.

She had a bright, lively look—quite pretty. She wore a simple dress that didn’t scream “luxury,” but the crystal-clear bracelet on her wrist was something Yu Xuan had seen online. It was a hot item from a certain luxury brand, worth enough to cover two months of her parents’ salaries.

“A-University…”

Yu Xuan whispered the name of the institution, her heart giving a sudden throb.

What a coincidence—A-University was the school she had just been admitted to.

Thus, this man was a target tailor-made for her: top-tier looks, a brain as sharp as hers, and more importantly, through his girlfriend’s “exhibit,” he had indirectly proven his social circle and financial standing.

Yu Xuan clicked into Zhao Zhao’s personal profile.

The profile was like a meticulously crafted window, offering a glimpse into a glittering world. There were photos of trips abroad, shopping sprees, and visits to trendy cafes.

But the most frequent posts were updates about her boyfriend.

The two of them rarely seemed to take photos together; most were solo shots of the guy. Every photo used natural angles and clever lighting, radiating the photographer’s deep love and devotion.

The comment section was a sea of envy and cheers.

“Little sis is so lucky! You and your boyfriend match so well. 99!” (t/n: “99” (jiu jiu) sounds like the word for “long-lasting” in Chinese; it is shorthand for wishing a couple a long life together.)

“I’m shipping this so hard! When I see ZZY at school, I really think he’s so cold and aloof! But he was conquered by you, sis!”

“There are so many threads about ZZY on the school forum. Someone posted your Little Green Book handle, so I came to check it out! You’re so beautiful, sis!”

Zhao Zhao’s replies were always shy and sweet: “Thank you, babes~” or “Stop it, you’re making me blush.”

Yu Xuan frowned slightly.

She carefully combed through the comment section of every single note, trying to find an account that might belong to the male lead himself.

However, there was nothing.

It was as if this high-profile protagonist existed entirely outside of his girlfriend’s social media network. This was unusual.

She exited the notes and clicked on Zhao Zhao’s “Following” list.

Fortunately, the list was public and not hidden.

She followed about a hundred people. Like a patient hunter, Yu Xuan filtered through every name and profile picture.

…

Ten minutes later, a profile with a starry sky avatar caught her attention.

The nickname was “Z.Y.” The profile was completely blank, and he followed very few people, yet his follower count was significant.

Z.Y.

It matched the name mentioned in Zhao Zhao’s comments. Yu Xuan’s heart began to race for no reason.

Opening Z.Y.’s following list, she saw that he did, indeed, follow Zhao Zhao.

It was him.

Tension, excitement, and thrill—these emotions mixed together, spreading through Yu Xuan’s chest.

Target locked.

She let out a soft breath and turned off her phone. The screen went dark, reflecting her excessively pure and beautiful face.

She knew what she wanted.

Beauty was her entry ticket, being “good” was her best disguise, A-University would be her new battlefield, and this man… would perhaps be her first stepping stone.

What her parents couldn’t give her, she would find a way to take for herself.

“Then… I’ll start with you.”

【Author’s Note at Chapter 1:】

I’m not going to pretend—this is a novel with zero moral compass. The female lead is a beautiful little brat; she’s truly “tea” and truly wicked. There is no “female empowerment” value to be found here; she is not a “Boss Babe” lead.

The male leads basically have no resistance.

Why write about immorality and the female lead being the “other woman”? Honestly, it’s because I’m a bit twisted. My apologies.

• It’s not necessarily 1v1; the author is skilled at writing 1vN (reverse harem).

• There will be both “female competition” and “male competition.”

• The female lead is not “pure” in body or mind; she is the heartless, “scum-girl” type.

• The male leads are all physically “pure” (virgins) and won’t have even kissed others, but some will be “pure of heart” while others are not.

• Because they must have a girlfriend to fit the genre’s premise, it’s hard for me to force them to be “pure of heart” toward their original partners, or I’ll get scolded for low “purity levels.” I’m tired of being scolded.

• However, I can say they aren’t actually that sincere about their “girlfriends.” Regarding the female lead, they will completely “forget their roots.” I hope this description makes readers a bit happier.

Thank you all, and enjoy the read.